To secure multiple pathways on both further studies and employment for candidates, the HKEAA has been working closely with university admission offices, higher education institutions, employers and professional bodies around the world to promote recognition of the HKDSE qualification.
The HKDSE qualifications have enjoyed wide recognition across the globe. The HKDSE not only provides an important credential for candidates to further their studies locally or to embark on a career, but they can also apply directly to non-local universities or institutions with their HKDSE results. Currently, 165 Mainland higher education institutions and around 130 Taiwan higher education institutions have admitted Hong Kong students on the basis of their HKDSE results.
Furthermore, the Australian Government has also recognised HKDSE as comparable to an Australian Senior Secondary School Certificate. In addition, thousands of tertiary institutions worldwide have published their general admission requirements for candidates holding HKDSE qualification on the HKEAA’s website and/or their official websites. The number of institutions from countries/regions like the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, the United States and Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, etc., has increased steadily since the inaugural HKDSE in 2012.

Extending the Recognition of HKDSE Qualification

In Sweden, candidates meeting the general criteria of the HKDSE officially issued by the HKEAA are eligible to apply for the bachelor's programmes at Swedish universities. Candidates can meet the English requirement if a subject level of at least 1 is attained. Please refer to the webpage of the Swedish Council for Higher Education for further details.
In Ireland, the HKDSE is considered as equivalent to the Irish Leaving Certificate (Level 5 of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications, NFQ), allowing senior secondary graduates progress to higher education and training programmes or into employment. Please visit the website of Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) for details.
In Germany, the HKDSE is considered as equivalent to the German school leaving certificate (Abitur) which allows subject-specific university admission for academic studies in the chosen subject area. Candidates, who attain a minimum of level 3 in the four core subjects and two elective subjects in the HKDSE (or ‘Attained’ in Citizenship and Social Development), can apply for admission to German public universities in the subject area of their HKDSE subjects. Visit the website of Anabin for details.
In Austria, the HKDSE is considered as equivalent to the Austrian school leaving certificate (Matura) which allows admission for academic studies in the chosen subject area offered by Austrian higher education institutions/ universities. Each programme and institution has different admission requirements. Please visit the website of Study in Austria for more information.
The Netherlands government has confirmed that the HKDSE qualification is recognised by the Nuffic of the Netherlands. Candidates, who obtain level 2 or above or ‘Attained’ in five subjects, including Chinese Language and English Language, are considered achieving a HAVO diploma for applying to the tertiary institutions there.
The Ministry of Education of Spain also published information about the recognition of the HKDSE qualification on the Authority’s webpage. This further expands the HKDSE’s international recognition to European countries, providing more opportunities for candidates interested in pursuing tertiary education abroad. HKDSE holders with at least five subjects at levels 2 to 5** will have access to Spanish universities without the prior requirement of an entrance examination. For details, please click here.
The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has recently confirmed that the HKDSE qualification is considered equivalent to India’s high school graduation qualification (Grade 12), allowing candidates to apply directly to Indian higher education institutions and universities with their HKDSE results.

Feature Stories: Multiple Pathway for HKDSE Candidates (Non-local Further Studies)

Latest development on HKDSE recognition and Video on HKDSE Graduates sharing experience of studying abroad (DSE Express*, July 2024)

Multiple Pathways for HKDSE Candidates to Enrich Their Life Journey (Special interview with senior secondary graduates on DSE Express*, December 2023)

*Note: In Chinese only